ELLSWORTH − A Beddington man was arrested on July 10 after leading police on a car chase through Ellsworth and hitting a cruiser, according to a press release from the Ellsworth Police Department. The chase began after an officer driving on High Street around 7 p.m. noticed a pickup truck “operating erratically.”

Police tried to pull the truck over near High and Main Street; it stopped briefly and then “before the officer could speak with the driver, the pickup fled,” said Chief Glenn Moshier in the release, heading north on Oak Street. Moshier said another cruiser in the area tried to move out of the way and protect oncoming traffic when the truck intentionally swerved into the cruiser, side-swiped the front passenger side and continued to flee. Police pursued the truck on Oak Street and onto State Street before deciding it was too dangerous to continue. The truck and its driver, 38-year-old Jess M. Gerrish, were eventually located on Route 9 in Township 22 by the Washington County Sheriff’s Department, said Moshier.

Gerrish was booked into Hancock County Jail on 11 charges, including failure to stop for a police officer, driving to endanger, OUI, reckless conduct, eluding, criminal speeding, leaving the scene of a property damage accident, failure to report an accident by quickest means, refusing to sign a vehicular summons and attempted aggravated assault. Gerrish was also issued a civil summons for not wearing a seat belt, which officers reportedly observed when they first saw him driving on High Street. Gerrish was still in jail as of Thursday morning, according to the release. Police estimated the damage to the cruiser at more than $1,000.